Conservationists and herbalists
in the US and Canada are fighting to preserve our native plants, habitats are
being lost not only to urbanization and pollution, but to our own traditions
of exploiting our natural resources as if they were a bottomless well, never
to be depleted. Many important North American medicinal herbs are woodland
species, the uses and knowledge of which was passed along to the colonists
of the New World from the indigenous native tribes. These settlers has also
brought many of their favorite healing plants and herbs with them, and many
European species have become naturalized here,making it hard to tell the natives
from the immigrants in the best American tradition.

Eclectic medicine was populist medical movement in America during the 1840s with a philosophy of alignment with nature. They were opposed to the techniques of bleeding, chemical purging, and the use of mercury compounds common among the "conventional" doctors of that time. The Eclectics used many principles of Samuel Thomson's family herbal medication, and botanical remedies adopted from Native Americans. The movement peaked in the 1880s and 1890s, with the last Eclectic Medical school closing in Cincinnati in 1939.

Looking for something you can read offline? Join our mailing list and get a free copy of Methods for Using Herbs. This free handbook includes instructions on how to make basic herbal preparations at home. It covers making herbal teas, herb infused oils and balms, tinctures, and more.

** Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs are provided on this site is for educational use only, and is not intended as medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Many traditional uses and properties of herbs have not been validated by the FDA. If you have any serious health concerns, you should always check with your health care practitioner before self-administering herbs. **